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Name:
 Zhou Xuming
Subject:
 Evolutionary Biology of mammals, Aging, genomics, Phylogenetics
Tel/Fax:
 +86-10-64807163  / 
E-mail:
 zhouxuming@ioz.ac.cn
Address:
 State Key Laboratory of Animal Biodiversity Conservation and Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, CAS, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
More:
 Group of Animal functional evolution and adaptation      
Resume:

Xuming Zhou, Ph.D., Professor, doctoral advisor, and head of the Animal Functional Evolution and Adaptation Research Group. He concurrently serves as Deputy Director of the Shennongjia National Field Station for Biodiversity Observation and Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Deputy Director of the Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, CAS, and Adjunct Doctoral Supervisor at the University of Science and Technology of China.

He has received competitive support under national and CAS talent programs and is a recipient of the Distinguished Young Scholar Fund of the Beijing Natural Science Foundation. He currently serves as a member of the Academic Committee of the Institute of Zoology, CAS; Secretary-General of the Animal Ecology Committee of the Ecological Society of China; council member of the Mammal Branch of the Chinese Zoological Society; member of the Evolutionary Theory Committee; board member of the Aging Biology Division of the Biophysical Society of China; and member of the Aging Genetics Subcommittee of the Genetics Society of China. He has been invited to serve on the editorial boards of journals including Molecular Biology and Evolution, Zoological Research, The Journal of Systematics and Evolution, BMC Genomics, Journal of Biology, Acta Theriologica Sinica, and Chinese Journal of Zoology, and as a reviewer for Science, Cell, PNAS, and National Science Review. His awards and honors include Outstanding Scientific and Technological Worker of the Ecological Society of China, the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Award, and the CAS Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation.

Research Interests:

My research, grounded in evolutionary biology and computational methods, bridges conservation biology, adaptive evolution, and aging. Since 2011, I have focused on mammalian comparative biology, particularly ecological and genetic adaptations. This work has yielded key insights, such as identifying adaptive genetic mechanisms in endangered mammals (e.g., snub-nosed monkeys, baiji dolphins), pioneering methods to evaluate coronavirus susceptibility across mammals, and decoding longevity-associated genomes in organisms like naked mole rats and bats.

Building on these foundations, my current work explores how environmental adaptations shape lifespan in mammals. Our findings reveal that group-living species exhibit extended longevity and faster evolutionary transitions to long-lived states compared to solitary species, highlighting a deep interplay between sociality and lifespan evolution. Notably, we observe organ-specific variation in selection pressures on longevity genes and identify methionine restriction-related pathways as shared targets of natural selection and artificial lifespan interventions. These discoveries suggest that lifespan regulation arises via polygenic, indirect selection, where adaptive genetic changes inadvertently "hitchhike" through populations, creating non-random longevity effects. To test this evolutionary framework empirically, my lab is developing strategies to disentangle how adaptive substitutions collectively influence lifespan—a pursuit that promises novel insights into the molecular drivers of longevity.

Awards and Honors:

2025      The First Prize of Natural Science Award, Shanxi Province, China

2023      Outstanding scientific and technological workers awards, The Society for Ecological of China

2019      The Second Prize of Natural Science Award, Hunan Province, China

2018     Youth scientist awards in Ocean Biology, BGI and Qingdao Government, Qingdao, China

2015      Excellent Thesis of Doctor's Degree in Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2013      Excellent Thesis of Master's Degree in Jiangsu Province, China

2013     Travel award for IMC11, The International Society for Mammals

2012      Excellent Thesis of Master's Degree in Nanjing Normal University, China

2011      Excellent Young Researchers in Jiangsu Zoological Society, China

2008      Excellent Thesis of Bachelor's Degree in Anhui Normal University, China

Professional Activities:

Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Vice director

Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Academic committee

Mol. Bio. & Evol.  Associated editor

Zoological Research  Member of editor Board

Genes Member of editor Board

Frontiers in Bioinformatics Reviewing editor

Journal of Biology < in Chinese > Member of editor Board

Chinese Journal of Zoology < in Chinese > Member of editor Board

Acta Theriological Sinica < in Chinese > Member of editor Board

The Society for Animal Ecology of China Secretary in general

Research Grants:

Chief investigator for grants supported by Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Beijing Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Scholars.

Selected Publications:
  1. Dai Y, Pan R, Pan Q, Wu X, Cai Z, Fu Y, Shi C, Sheng Y, Li J, Lin Z, Liu G, Zhu P, Li M, Li G, Zhou X*. Single-cell profiling of the amphioxus digestive tract reveals conservation of endocrine cells in chordates. Science Advances. 2024; 10(51):eadq0702.
  2. Dai Y, Zhong Y, Pan R, Yuan L, Fu Y, Chen Y, Du J, Li M, Wang X, Liu H, Shi C, Liu G, Zhu P, Shimeld S, Zhou X*, Li G*. Evolutionary origin of the chordate nervous system revealed by amphioxus developmental trajectories. Nature Ecology & Evolution. 2024;8(9):1693-1710.
  3. Liu G#, Pan Q#, Zhu P#, Guo X, Zhang Z, Li Z, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Wang J, Liu W, Hu C, Yu Y, Wang X, Chen W, Li M, Yu W, Liu X, Seim I, Fan G, Zhou X*. Comparative Genomics Provides Insights into Adaptive Evolution and Demographics of Bats. Molecular Biology and Evolution. 2024; 41(12):msae208.
  4. J Du#, W Liu#, M Li#, Z Li, X Li, Y Dai, G Liu, X Wang, P Zhu, V Gladyshev, X Zhou*. Histone H1.2 mediates the crosstalk between hypoxic adaptation and cancer resistance in naked mole rats. PloS Biology, 2024; 22 (8), e3002778.
  5. C Hu#, G Liu#, Z Zhang, Q Pan, X Zhang, W Liu, M Li, P Zhu, T Ji, X Zhou*.No common relax of negative selection in endangered mammals. EMBO reports, 2024; 25 (12), 5620-5634.
  6. W Li#, J Du#, L Yang#, Q Liang, M Yang, X Zhou*, W Du*. Chromosome-level genome assembly and population genomics of Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) provide insights into high-altitude adaptation in lizards. BMC Biology, 2023; 21 (1): 1-14.
  7. S Fang#, C Lei#, M Li#, Y Ming, L Liu, X Zhou*, M Li*. Collaborative effects of 2019-nCoV-Spike mutants on viral infectivity. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal. 2023; 21:5125-5135.
  8. X Tan#, J Qi#, Z Liu#, P Fan, G Liu, L Zhang, Y Shen, J Li, C Roos*, X Zhou*, M Li*. Phylogenomics reveals high levels of incomplete lineage sorting at the ancestral nodes of the macaque radiation. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2023; 40(11): msad229.
  9. G Liu, Q Pan, J Du, P Zhu, W Liu, Z Li, L Wang, C Hu, Y Dai, X Zhang, Z Zhang, Y Yu, M Li, P Wang, X Wang, M Li, X Zhou*. Improved mammalian family phylogeny using gap-rare multiple sequence alignment: A timetree of extant placentals and marsupials. Zoological Research, 2023; 45: 1-16.
  10. W Liu#, P Zhu#, M Li, Z Li, Y Yu, G Liu, J Du, X Wang, J Yang, R Tian, I Seim, A Kaya, M Li, Ming Li, V Gladyshev, X Zhou*. Large‐scale across species transcriptomic analysis identifies genetic selection signatures associated with longevity in mammals. The EMBO Journal, 2023; e112740.
  11. X Li#, P Wang#, Q Pan, G Liu, W Liu, O Omotoso, J Du, Z Li, Y Yu, Y Huang, P Zhu, M Li, X Zhou*. Chromosome‐level Asian elephant genome assembly and comparative genomics of long‐lived mammals reveal the common substitutions for cancer resistance. Aging Cell, 22(9): e13917.
  12. P Zhu#, W Liu#, X Zhang, Meng Li, G Liu, Y Yu, Z Li, X Li, J Du, X Wang, C Grueter, M Li*, X Zhou*. Correlated evolution of social organization and lifespan in mammals. Nature Communications, 2023; 14 (1): 372.
  13. M Li#, J Du#, W Liu, Z Li, F Lv, C Hu, Y Dai, X Zhang, Z Zhang, G Liu, Q Pan, Y Yu, X Wang, P Zhu, X Tan, P Garber, X Zhou*. Comparative susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV across mammals. The ISME Journal, 2023;17(4): 549-560.
  14. C Yan#, J Lin#, Y Huang#, Q Gao, Z Piao, S Yuan, L Chen, X Ren, R Ye, M Dong, H Zhang, H Zhou, X Jiang, W Jin*, X Zhou*, C Yan*. Population genomics reveals that natural variation in PRDM16 contributes to cold tolerance in domestic cattle. Zoological research, 2022; 43(2): 275-284.
  15. H Xie#, X Liang#, Z Chen#, W Li, C Mi, M Li, Z Wu*, X Zhou*, W Du*. Ancient demographics determine the effectiveness of genetic purging in endangered lizards. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2022; 39(1): msab359.
  16. P Zhu, PA Garber, L Wang, M Li, K Belov, TR Gillespie, X Zhou*. Comprehensive Knowledge of Reservoir Hosts is Key to Mitigate Future Pandemics. The Innovation, 2020; 1(3):100065.
  17. X Zhou, Q Dou, G Fan, Q Zhang, M Sanderford, A Kaya, J Johnson, EK Karlsson, X Tian, A Mikhalchenko, S Kumar, A Seluanov, Z Zhang, V Gorbunova, X Liu, V Gladyshev*. Beaver and Naked Mole Rat Genomes Reveal Common Paths to Longevity. Cell Reports, 2020; 32 (4):107949.
  18. X Zhou#, X Guang#, D Sun#, S Xu, M Li, I Seim, W Jie, L Yang, Q Zhu, J Xu, Q Gao, A Kaya, Q Dou, B Chen, W Ren, S Li, K Zhou, V Gladyshev, R Nielsen*, X Fang*, G Yang*. Population genomics of finless porpoises reveal an incipient cetacean species adapted to freshwater. Nature communications, 2018; 9 (1): 1-8.
  19. X Zhou#, D Sun#, X Guang#, S Ma, X Fang, M Mariotti, R Nielsen, V Gladyshev*, G Yang*. Molecular Footprints of Aquatic Adaptation Including Bone Mass Changes in Cetaceans. Genome Biology and Evolution, 2018;10(3):967-975.
  20. X Zhou#, X Meng#, Z Liu#, J Chang, B Wang, M Li, PO Wengel, S Tian, C Wen, Z Wang, P Garber, H Pan, X Ye, Z Xiang, M Bruford, S Edwards, Y Cao, S Yu, L Gao, Z Cao, G Liu, B Ren, F Shi, Z Peterfi, D Li, B Li, Z Jiang, J Li, V Gladyshev, R Li*, M Li*. Population genomics reveals low genetic diversity and adaptation to hypoxia in snub-nosed monkeys. Molecular Biology and evolution,  2016; 33(10):2670-81.
  21. X Zhou#, B Wang#, Q Pan#, J Zhang, S Kumar, X Sun, Z Liu, H Pan, Y Lin, G Liu, W Zhan, M Li, B Ren, X Ma, H Ruan, C Cheng, D Wang, F Shi, Y Hui, Y Tao, C Zhang, P Zhu, Z Xiang, W Jiang, J Chang, H Wang, Z Cao, Z Jiang, B Li, G Yang, C Roos, P Garber, M Bruford, R Li*, M Li*. Whole-genome sequencing of the snub-nosed monkey provides insights into folivory and evolutionary history. Nature Genetics, 2014; 46 (12): 1303-1310.
  22. X Zhou#, F Sun#, S Xu#, G Fan, K Zhu, X Liu, Y Chen, C Shi, Y Yang, Z Huang, J Chen, H Hou, X Guo, W Chen, Y Chen, X Wang, T Lv, D Yang, J Zhou, B Huang, Z Wang, W Zhao, R Tian, Z Xiong, J Xu, X Liang, B Chen, W Liu, J Wang, S Pan, X Fang, M Li, F Wei, X Xu, K Zhou, J Wang*, G Yang*. Nature communications, 2013; 4 (1), 1-6.
  23. X Zhou, S Xu, J Xu, B Chen, K Zhou, G Yang*. Phylogenomic analysis resolves the interordinal relationships and rapid diversification of the Laurasiatherian mammals. Systematic biology, 2012; 61 (1):150-164.
  24. X Zhou, S Xu, Y Yang, K Zhou, G Yang*. Phylogenomic analyses and improved resolution of Cetartiodactyla. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 2021; 61(2): 255-264.
  25. X Zhou, S Xu, P Zhang, G Yang*. Developing a series of conservative anchor markers and their application to phylogenomics of Laurasiatherian mammals. Molecular ecology resources, 2011; 11 (1): 134-140.